U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,941,719 and 3,944,658 to Yoldas describe a transparent nonparticulate alumina prepared by hydrolyzing aluminum alkoxides to form a clear sol which forms a gel, retaining its integrity during drying and pyrolysis.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,208,475 and 4,244,986 to Paruso and Yoldas describe a liquid polymer formed from organometallic sodium and aluminum compounds, at least one of which is partially hydrolyzed. The polymer is hydrolyzed, dried to form amorphous sodium Beta-alumina precursor, and then heated to 1200.degree.-1550.degree. C. to form a ceramic comprising ion-conductive sodium Beta-alumina which is useful as a solid electrolyte.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,427 to Ho et al discloses a method for preparing alumina doped with a small percentage of magnesia by first forming a mixed clear solution of aluminum alkoxide and a small amount of magnesium in the form of alkoxide or water-soluble magnesium salt, adding an acid and water in excess of the amount required to completely hydrolyze the alkoxide, and allowing the resulting milky slurry to fully hydrolyze to form a clear sol. The sol may be spray-dried to produce a powder, or gelled, dried and mechanically pulverized.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,679 to Fujioka et al discloses a coated shaped article of a polycarbonate type resin of improved abrasion resistance comprising a shaped polycarbonate substrate, an undercoat applied and cured on the substrate, and an overcoat applied and cured on the undercoat comprising a hydrolyzate of an epoxy-containing silicon compound, at least one member of the group of hydrolyzates of organic silicon compounds, colloidal silica and organic titania compounds, and a curing catalyst.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,500,669 and 4,571,365 to Ashlock et al disclose transparent, abrasion-resistant coating compositions comprising a colloidal dispersion of a water-insoluble dispersant in a water-alcohol solution of the partial condensate of silanol wherein the dispersant comprises metals, alloys, salts, oxides and hydroxides thereof.
In the Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Vol. 63, (1984), Philipp et al disclose in "New Material for Contact Lenses Prepared From Si- and Ti-Alkoxides by the Sol-Gel Process" that it is possible to combine inorganic and organic elements to develop materials with special properties.
In Polymer Bulletin, No. 14, (1985) Huang et al disclose in "Ceramers: Hybrid Materials Incorporating Polymeric/Oligomeric Species with Inorganic Glasses by a Sol-Gel Process" a reaction scheme wherein tetraethoxysilane is the alkoxide employed and polydimethyl siloxane is the polymeric component.
U.S. application Ser. No. 06/915,344 filed Oct. 3, 1986 and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,264 to Lin et al discloses the preparation of silane/alumina sol-gel compositions by adding an organosilane such as methyl triethoxysilane into an aqueous alumina sol prepared from an aluminum alkoxide.